Refrigerating and ice-making process and apparatus



Oct; 15, 1929. R. w. DAVENPORT 1,731,711

REFRIGERATING AND ICE MAKING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed March 18, 1927 INVENTOR. Ransom 14 flaw/1,00%?

A TT ORNE Y.

Patented a. 15, 1929 IUNIVTED STATES PATENT oF-FicE RANSOM W. DAVENPORT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A$SIGNOR TO CHICAGO PNEUMATIC TOOL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY REFRIGERATING AND ICE-MAKING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Application filed March 18, 1927. Serial No. 176,346.

This invention relates to refrigeration and includes both an improved process in relation to the same and'apparatus for practicing the process. While the invention is of.

general application, it has been developed to meet the; needs of refrigerating systems and outfits intended particularly for domestic use where the machine parts operate only intermittently. It has direct application to processes and apparatus for taking heat from a, plurality of chambers at different te1nperatures, as from a food chamber at temperatures above 32 F. and from a freezing chamber for liquids at temperatures below freezing, the heat removing means being connected into a single system operating at a single total-pressure stage.

my Patent No. 1,619,196 issued March 1,

'20 1927. In its apparatus aspect the present invention relates more directly to mechanical refrigerators of the type shown in my copending application Serial No. 105,372 filed April 29th, 1926, of which the present invention may be considered as an improvement and further development.

With refrigerating systems and outfits which are intended to operate intermittently or periodically by automatic control, such as a domestic refrigerating machines, it is neces sary to hold-over the freezing temperature J rator becomes coated with ice andfrosf WhlCll builds out to a considerable mass and when the shut-downs occur, this coating serves as insulation and holds over the freezing temperature in the interior of the freezing chamher. But as this same evaporator is relied up'on to take heat from the box and its contents, the user is forced to shut down the e machine andmelt off the ice frequently in.

Such a system 0perates on the vapor-gas principle disclosed in' order to maintain proper temperatures for food preservation.

In systems utilizing the vapor-gas principle and in which the freezing element is more or less isolated from the food chamber (as illustrated in my copending application, Serial #105,372) the coating of ice and frost on the freezing element 'tends to be much thinner since not enough air comes in contact with the element to give up any considerable amount of moisture.

One object of the present invention is to provide improved ways and means for making ice and cooling a refrigerator simultaneously. Another object is to provide means and methods for accomplishing the holdover of freezing temperatures during shutdown periods in systems operating on the vapor-gas principle. Another object is to build up an adequate coat of ice and frost on the exterior of a freezing element or evaporator regardless of any frost which may or may not form on a separate cooling element or evaporator. Other objects will be apparent from the detailed description which follows. q

The invention is disclosed as relating to systems utilizing a plurality of refrigerating elements or evaporators and comprises methods and'means'for conducting the sur-" face condensation from one element to another. In outfits of the described type .wherein the evaporators extractv heat from their surroundings at different temperatures, the surface condensation of the evaporator operating at the higher temperature which melts off each time the thermostat or control stops the machine, is collected and distributed over the evaporator operating at the lower temperature. By preference the collecting and conducting of the moisture of condensation is effected by means utilizing the force of gravity.'

In order to illustrate the invention one ,concrete embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view largely in vertical section of a self-contained mechanical refrigerating outfit adapted for household use;v

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same cabinet substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Y Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the refrigerating system with the freezing evaporator shown in perspective and the cooling evaporator in front elevation.

A practical embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a refrigerator cabinet A having a food chamber B with walls of insulating material, a. freezing chamber C disposed below and at one side of the food chamber and also with walls of insulatingmaterial, and a machine compartment D. Freezing chamber C contains a freezing element or evaporator 4 servin as an enclosure 'or container fortr'ays or her receptacles 4" for liquid to be frozen and conforms in generaltothe type shown in my said copending application Serial No. 105,372. An extended evaporator element 5 which may beof any suitable or desired type but is preferably formed of two metal sheets slightly spaced apart to provide a chamber- The vapor of the re of restricted size, is arranged to line at least a part of. food chamber B to extract heat therefrom at a higher temperature than evaporator 4, due to the peculiar principles of the vapor-gas cycle as set forth in my aforesaid patent, Both refrigerating elements 4 and 5 contain evaporableliquid and the upper part of evaporator 4 is connected to the bottom of evaporator 5 by a conduit 6 so that the two evaporators' are, connected in series and operate at a single total pressure stage.

from the top of evaporator 5 through a pipe 7 by a suitable pump 8 driven by electric motor or other prime mover 9 and is discharged through pipe 10 (Fig. 3) into a condenser 11 which may be cooled in any suitable manner as by a fan 12- drive n by motor 9 .where' the refrigerant vapor is condensed.

'- The products 0 condenser 11 are fed back through pipe 13 and feeding device or expansion valve 14 (Figs. 2 and 3) into the lower part of evaporator 4.

Since the cubical content of freezing chamber C is small relative to that of fluid chamber B there is not 'sufiicient air in contact with freezing element 4 to provide any appreciable amount of frost or ice upon the element. The invention, accordingly, contemplates ways and means for conducting and distributing over element 4 additional moisture to form a thickcoating of ice'and frost which will assist in holding over the low temperature in freezing compartment C during shutdown periods. This moisture is pre erably provided by the condensation upon cooling element 5. In order to gather the condensation, element 5 is provided at its basewith a trough 5 and this trough drains into pipe 15 which has a substantially horizontal portion 15" extending centrally above-freezing element 4 andhaving outlets 15 from whichthe drip rigerarit is withdrawn 'inay of the moisture may distribute more or less evenly over the surface of element 4 and frigerating apparatus for a period of twentyfour hours or more every week or so in order to de-frostthe evaporator or cooling-freezing element of the latter, as with. the conventional system.'

The cooling element 5 -de-frosts itself by reason of the'thin coating of frost which forms thereon, and this dc-frosting takes place in whole or in part several times a day when the thermostat cuts off the machine or as the doorof the food chamber B is opened.

The frost is thereupon automatically transferred through trough 5" and drain 15 to the freezing element 4. Thus with my system the formation of frost does no harm since it does not prevent the taking in of heat from the food chamber but on the contrary does only good in efliciently holding over the low temperatures of the freezing chamber.

Means may be provided for taking care of the frozen condensation in element 4 in the event of the partial or complete melting of the same- Such means may take theform of a. trou h- 16'around the base of element 5 which the freezing element 4 is placed. A

[ pipe 16" is arranged to lead from trough or tray 16.

While the invention, both in its process and apparatus aspects, has been herein shown in what .is .now'considered to be a referred form, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details thereof, but covers all changes, modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

'1. In a refrigerating system operating ntermittently and utilizing a plurality of refrigerating elements in separate chambers, one of which operates at a sufliciently low tem rature to freeze liquids, the process of holdiiig over the low temperature in the freezing element which comprises utilizing thesurface condensation of the other to form.

moisture from the warmer of said elements and conducting it to the exterior of the colder of said elements.

3. In a refrigerating system having a plurality of evaporating elements for taking heat from air in separate chambers at a plurality of temperatures, means for collectlng the moisture condensed from the air on the surface of the warmer of said elements and conducting it to the surface of the colder 'of said elements. I

4. A refrigerating system having a plurality of refrigerating elements arranged for installation 1n separate chambers, and means for collecting the surfacecondensation of all lii said elements upon one of said elements.

5. A refrigerating system having a cool- "ing element and a freezing element arranged for installation in separate chambers, and means for utilizing the surface condensation of the cooling element to form a coating of frost on said freezing element.

6.-A refrigerating system arranged for intermittent operation having a cooling element and a freezing element, said elements being arranged for installation in separate chambers, means for collecting the surface condensation. of the cooling element and depositing it upon said freezing element to -level than said cooling element, said elements being arranged for installation in separate chambers, means for collecting the surface condensation of said cooling element, and means for conducting said condensation and distributing it by element.

9. A refrigerating system comprising heat absorbing elements connected in series arranged to contain an evaporable liquid, means for effecting vaporization of the liquid in said elements and for feeding to-said ele ments liquid to take-the 'lace of that evaporated,-means preventing t e access of the same atmosphere to both evaporators, and means for withdrawing the surface condensation from one of said elements and,conducting it'to another of said. elements to build up a coating of frost upon the latter.

-.10. A closed cycle refrigerating system of the evaporator-compressor-condenser type having two ,evaporators connected in series, means for eflectlngabsorptlon of heat by gravity over said freezing v two chambers with walls of insulatlng maby the other, means preventing the access of the same atmosphere to both evaporators, and means for conducting the surface condensation from said higher temperature evaporator to said lower temperature evaporator.

11. A refrigerating cabinet having two chambers, means for extracting heat from said chambers including a refrigerating element in each, and means for transferring the surface condensation of one element to the other.

12. A refrigerator cabinet having a cool lng chamber and a freezing chamber, means for extracting heat from said chambers 1n- 1 eluding an evaporator in each, and means for collecting the surface condensation on said cooling evaporator and'distributing said freezing evaporator.

13. A refrigerator cabinet having a cooling chamber and a freezing chamber, means for extracting heat from said chambers ineluding an evaporator in each, said freezing evaporator being at a lower level than said cooling evaporator and means for collecting.

it over the surface condensation on said cooling evaporator and distributing it by gravity over said freezing evaporator.

14. A refrigerator cabinet having a 0001- Y ing chamber and a freezing chamber, means for extracting heat from said chambers 1neluding an evaporator in each, a trough arranged to collect the moisture condensed on said cooling evaporator, and a conduit leading from said trough and arranged to deposit the moisture upon said freezingevaporator. 15. A refrigerator cabinet havlng at least two chambers with walls of insulating material, means for extracting heat from one of said chambers at a tem erature above freezing and from another 0 amber at a temperature below freezing, said means comprlsing apparatus forming a closed cycle system operating on the vapor-gas principle and including evaporators in said chambers connected in series, a trough for collecting the condensation on the evaporator in the higher temperature chamber, and a pipe extending from said trough for conducting and distributing evaporator.

17. A refrigerator cabinet having at least two chambers with walls of insulating material,means for extracting heat from one the condensation over the lower temperature 12 one evaporator at a higher temperature than x of said chambers at a temperature above freezing and from* another chamber at a temperature below freezing, said means comprislng apparatus forming a closed cycle system operatlng on the vapor-gas principle and includingevaporators in said c ambers connected in series, the evaporator in the higher teriap era ture chamber being arranged to line at least a part of the same and having a .trough for collecting condensation, the

evaporator in the lower temperature chamber forming an enclosure for containers for liquid to be frozen, and a pipe extending from said trough over the top of said last named evaporator and having openings to effect distribution of the condensation from said higher temperature eva orator to form a layer of ice and frost on said freezing evaporator.

18. A refrigerator cabinet having at least two chambersfwitli walls of insulating material, means for extracting heat from one of said chambers at a temperature above freezing and from another chamber at a temperature below freezing, said means comprising apparatus forming a closed cycle system o crating on the vapor-gas principle and inclu ing evaporators in said chambers con nected in series, the evaporator in the higher temperature chamber being arranged to line at least a part of the same and having a. trough for collecting condensation, the evaporator in the lower temperature chamber forming an enclosure for containers for liquid to be frozen, and a pipe extending from said trough over the top of said last named evaporator and having openings to effect diseg tribution of the surface condensation from-i saidhigher temperature evaporator to form a layer of ice. and frost on said freezing evaporator, and means for dlsposmg of any part of the ice and frost layer'which melts comprising a trough about said freezing gvaporator and a waste pipe extending thererom.

Wayne, an state of Michigan, this 16th day of March, '1927. 1

RANSOM W. DAVENPORT.

Signed b me at Detroit, in the county of 

